diff --git a/doc/zsh/_polybar_msg b/doc/zsh/_polybar_msg
index 80611e80..c6cb54ad 100644
--- a/doc/zsh/_polybar_msg
+++ b/doc/zsh/_polybar_msg
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ _polybar_msg() {
       case $words[1] in
         hook) _arguments ':module name:' ':hook index:'; ret=0 ;;
         action) _arguments ':action payload:'; ret=0 ;;
-        cmd) _arguments ':command payload:'; ret=0 ;;
+        cmd) _arguments ':command payload:(show hide toggle restart quit)'; ret=0 ;;
       esac
       ;;
   esac
diff --git a/include/components/bar.hpp b/include/components/bar.hpp
index ceeb6e61..616ecdcc 100644
--- a/include/components/bar.hpp
+++ b/include/components/bar.hpp
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ class bar : public xpp::event::sink<evt::button_press, evt::expose, evt::propert
 
   void parse(string&& data, bool force = false);
 
+  void hide();
+  void show();
+  void toggle();
+
  protected:
   void restack_window();
   void reconfigure_pos();
@@ -86,6 +90,8 @@ class bar : public xpp::event::sink<evt::button_press, evt::expose, evt::propert
   event_timer m_doubleclick{0L, 150L};
 
   double m_anim_step{0.0};
+
+  bool m_visible{true};
 };
 
 POLYBAR_NS_END
diff --git a/src/components/bar.cpp b/src/components/bar.cpp
index 5c4051ec..4807f8f6 100644
--- a/src/components/bar.cpp
+++ b/src/components/bar.cpp
@@ -313,9 +313,12 @@ void bar::parse(string&& data, bool force) {
 
   if (force) {
     m_log.trace("bar: Force update");
+  } else if (!m_visible) {
+    return m_log.trace("bar: Ignoring update (invisible)");
   } else if (m_opts.shaded) {
     return m_log.trace("bar: Ignoring update (shaded)");
   } else if (data == m_lastinput) {
+    return m_log.trace("bar: Ignoring update (unchanged)");
     return;
   }
 
@@ -361,6 +364,57 @@ void bar::parse(string&& data, bool force) {
   m_dblclicks = check_dblclicks();
 }
 
+/**
+ * Hide the bar by unmapping its X window
+ */
+void bar::hide() {
+  if (!m_visible) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  try {
+    m_log.info("Hiding bar window");
+    m_sig.emit(visibility_change{false});
+    m_connection.unmap_window_checked(m_opts.window);
+    m_connection.flush();
+    m_visible = false;
+  } catch (const exception& err) {
+    m_log.err("Failed to unmap bar window (err=%s", err.what());
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Show the bar by mapping its X window and
+ * trigger a redraw of previous content
+ */
+void bar::show() {
+  if (m_visible) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  try {
+    m_log.info("Showing bar window");
+    m_sig.emit(visibility_change{true});
+    m_connection.map_window_checked(m_opts.window);
+    m_connection.flush();
+    m_visible = true;
+    parse(string{m_lastinput}, true);
+  } catch (const exception& err) {
+    m_log.err("Failed to map bar window (err=%s", err.what());
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Toggle the bar's visibility state
+ */
+void bar::toggle() {
+  if (m_visible) {
+    hide();
+  } else {
+    show();
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * Move the bar window above defined sibling
  * in the X window stack
@@ -458,11 +512,11 @@ void bar::broadcast_visibility() {
   auto attr = m_connection.get_window_attributes(m_opts.window);
 
   if (attr->map_state == XCB_MAP_STATE_UNVIEWABLE) {
-    m_sig.emit(visibility_change{move(false)});
+    m_sig.emit(visibility_change{false});
   } else if (attr->map_state == XCB_MAP_STATE_UNMAPPED) {
-    m_sig.emit(visibility_change{move(false)});
+    m_sig.emit(visibility_change{false});
   } else {
-    m_sig.emit(visibility_change{move(true)});
+    m_sig.emit(visibility_change{true});
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/components/controller.cpp b/src/components/controller.cpp
index eeab009a..0632fa7f 100644
--- a/src/components/controller.cpp
+++ b/src/components/controller.cpp
@@ -636,6 +636,12 @@ bool controller::on(const signals::ipc::command& evt) {
     enqueue(make_quit_evt(false));
   } else if (command == "restart") {
     enqueue(make_quit_evt(true));
+  } else if (command == "hide") {
+    m_bar->hide();
+  } else if (command == "show") {
+    m_bar->show();
+  } else if (command == "toggle") {
+    m_bar->toggle();
   } else {
     m_log.warn("\"%s\" is not a valid ipc command", command);
   }